He was the Member of Parliament representing the riding of Beauce from 1984 to 1997, initially as a Progressive Conservative and later as an Independent.
[1] Bernier moved to the Beauce in 1953[2] to pursue a radio career at CKRB in Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, and quickly became a local celebrity.
Bernier was later acquitted of the charges, and re-admitted to the PC caucus by succeeding leader Jean Charest.
In 1997, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien named him ambassador to Haiti,[3] He chose not to contest Beauce (which was won by Liberal candidate Claude Drouin) in the 1997 election, and instead contested the newly created riding of Tobique—Mactaquac, winning by slightly less than 2,000 votes.
Bernier lost re-election at the next federal election in 2000, marking the end of his parliamentary career.